entrepreneurs 19


Pictures by Angus Thomas


Hanwell and quickly after that a second one in Southall.


Did you think you would be so successful? I knew that if I worked hard, there would be some sort of reward for all that effort, but looking back I honestly didn’t think we would be quite so successful. Obviously, the Gods – and my parents – must have been looking after me.


What important business lessons you have learned?


First and foremost you have to look after your customers. Last year my business served nearly 15 million customers so we are only ever as good as how well we treat our customers. Cutting corners doesn’t work and we never do that.


My business can only be as good as my employees. I always say McDonald’s isn’t a burger business,


it’s actually a people business and with over 2,000 employees, they’re easily my biggest asset. I am really proud of all of them.


Name a career highlight


There are quite a few, but one in particular stands out and is really very special to me. At every restaurant there’s a thank you message from me to my staff for choosing to work with me, which also says they can contact me directly. One day, a member of staff came to tell me his father had recently died. He was pretty distraught, he obviously felt that his world had been turned upside down and he was worried about who he would turn to for fatherly advice. We both cried at his loss. After a while of consoling him, he turned to me and said he now saw me as his father. I felt really touched and honoured to have made a positive difference to someone’s life in his hour of need.


Who are your heroes?


I have two, both of whom have conflicting ideologies but have been with me since I was young. Bhagat Singh was a young freedom fighter who was hanged for violence against the Raj. I admire him not just for his fight to win freedom for India but for his real passion. Gandhi on the other hand, took a non-violent approach. As I got older, I started to see the value in his long-term vision, especially in today’s world where strife is all around us. If only the world adhered to his teachings, it would be a far better place.


You have a reputation as a philanthropist, tell me more


All businesses have a responsibility to give something back to their local community. I’ve established the Atul Pathak Community Awards, which offer a financial contribution and a year-long partnership to six or seven local charities every year and we have quite a few initiatives in the communities around our restaurants. We also sponsor several local football teams and work with lots of young people in schools through the


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – MAY 2015


London Education Business Partnership. We also do quite a lot to support our local environment by organising community clean-ups and litter picking.


What do you do on your time off


I love cricket and we have a wide circle of friends, but the three things that are most important to me are my family, my employees and what we all do together to improve the communities in which we work.


Have your son and daughter followed you into business?


My son is a graduate from the London School of Economics and worked for a big corporate before opening his own business. My daughter went to Oxford University, then to Imperial College and is now a doctor. I am really proud of both of them.


What has life taught you?


It’s important never to forget where you came from. I had very, very humble beginnings and I’ve never forgotten that. Humility is very important to me as a core value. And if I can make a small difference, whether to one of my employees or to someone in our local communities, that’s what gives me the greatest satisfaction.


What do you order from McDonald’s?


I like to try different things, but the first thing I always order is a cappuccino because we have great coffee. A Big Mac is a real favourite and the fries are the best in the world.


And finally, what are your future ambitions?


I definitely don’t intend to rest on my laurels as I can see that the more successful we are in business, the more we can give back by helping our local communities. I once read that “the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more”. I like that sentiment.


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